Shelby’s first concept in a decade takes the Ford Mustang to new widths

American tuner Shelby is taking the Ford Mustang to new heights. Or, more accurately, to new widths. The company’s first concept in a decade is a wide-bodied, high-performance version of Ford’s popular sport coupe.

Muscle cars have traditionally been known for delivering neck-snapping straight-line performance, not razor-sharp handling. That’s changing fast, and Shelby explains it built the Super Snake Wide Body to explore the Mustang’s handling potential. The company added four inches to the rear track and 2.5 inches to the front track, giving the Super Snake a menacing low-slung look.

The wide-bodied treatment isn’t just for show, however. It blesses the Mustang with more grip, and Shelby promises it significantly changes the car’s driving dynamics. The end result is a muscle car that’s capable of dominating an autocross course after a few high-speed jaunts on the drag strip.

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A long list of mechanical modifications complement the body upgrades. In lieu of the Mustang’s stock engine, Shelby has installed a supercharged, 5.0-liter V8 that taunts the Dodge Challenger Hellcat with 750 horses screaming at the top of their lungs. Competition-rated Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires help the eight-cylinder transfer its power to the unsuspecting pavement. However, performance specifications haven’t been released yet.

The Super Snake Wide Body also benefits from a comprehensively re-tuned suspension system that’s fully adjustable, and Brembo brakes. Shelby even went as far as to install hardened wheel studs, lest the supercharged V8’s brutish force shears off the stock ones.

For the time being, the Shelby Super Snake Wide Body is only a concept. A company spokesman told Digital Trends that executives in the third quarter of this year will decide whether or not to build it, but it sounds like a decision has already been made. Shelby’s official website proudly states the model will be released in the fall of 2017. Look for a pricing announcement and more technical details before then.

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